Syracuse, NY - A veteran Onondaga County corrections officer is facing criminal charges accusing him of smuggling contraband into the facility in Jamesville.

Edward E. Sabbagh, 44, of 728 Park Ave., has been charged with misdemeanor counts of official misconduct and second-degree promoting prison contraband, according to Senior Assistant District Attorney Michael Ferrante.

Ferrante said Sabbagh is accused of smuggling something in a brown paper bag to an inmate in the correctional facility one day last month. Authorities concluded the contraband was not drugs, alcohol or any other dangerous item based on subsequent recorded phone conversations the inmate had with someone on the outside. The delivery was acknowledged in those conversations, the prosecutor said.

Based on those recorded conversations, officials believe the contents of the bag included books, puzzles and sneakers, Ferrante said. But authorities do not know for sure because some time passed between the date of the incident and when officials learned about it and began investigating, he explained.

Ferrante said the evidence includes an internal facility video showing Sabbagh delivering the bag.

Regardless of what was in the bag, it's illegal for a corrections officer to bring anything into the facility that doesn't go through proper channels, the prosecutor said.

At this point there is no evidence Sabbagh received any compensation for his conduct or there would have been an additional charge of bribe receiving, Ferrante said. No criminal charges are pending as a result of the incident against the inmate, who Ferrante declined to identify.

The prosecutor said he did not know where the bag of contraband was delivered to Sabbagh before Sabbagh carried it into the facility. Ferrante said authorities were investigating whether the officer was a family friend of the inmate.

Sabbagh was a corrections officer for 22 to 23 years, Ferrante said. The prosecutor said he believed Sabbagh was forced to submit his resignation as a result of being charged last week. County Corrections Commissioner Timothy Cowin said Sabbagh submitted a one-line resignation letter effective August 9.

According to Ferrante, the matter had been investigated by corrections officials, the Sheriff's Office and the District Attorney's Office before Sabbagh was confronted with the allegations at work last week. The prosecutor said Sabbagh did not appear to realize he was under investigation until confronted with the allegations.

Ferrante declined comment on whether Sabbagh was suspected in any prior contraband-smuggling incidents. But he said the investigation is continuing.

Ferrante said Sabbagh was issued appearance tickets answerable in DeWitt town court next week.